Horse meat found in North Yorkshire beef burgers

7:30am Thursday 17th January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

Updated: STORES across York, North and East Yorkshire run by two supermarket chains have taken beefburgers which became contaminated with horsemeat off their shelves.

Irish food safety officials said the affected products had been stocked by several firms, including Tesco and Iceland – who, between them, have 23 stores in the region – with the meat coming from the Dalepak Hambleton plant in North Yorkshire and two others in the Republic of Ireland.

The Government has said it is now working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to “urgently investigate” the matter, with Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday saying the discovery was “extremely disturbing” and “completely unacceptable”.

The FSA has said there is no risk to public safety, but the investigation will attempt to trace the source of the contaminated meat, while it has also called a meeting of food industry representatives.

Tesco said it withdrew two frozen burger products from the supplier concerned after the test results emerged on Tuesday, with its group technical director Tim Smith saying food safety and quality was “of the highest importance” and “the presence of illegal meat in our products is extremely serious”.

He said Tesco was “working with the authorities in Ireland and the UK, and with the supplier concerned, to urgently understand how this has happened and how to ensure it does not happen again”, adding that the chain would not take any products from this supplier until the investigation is concluded.

Iceland said it had also withdrawn two own-brand burger products involved, with a spokesman saying it would be “working closely with its suppliers to investigate this issue”.

A spokesman for Dalepak, which is based near Northallerton, said the firm was currently conducting independent tests on its products, but it was not yet known how long this would take to complete.

He said: “Analysis is taking place right now, but we won’t have more information until that analysis is complete.”

The ABP Food Group, of which Dalepak Hambleton is a subsidiary, has promised to adopt strict DNA testing of its products to prevent a repeat, with a spokesman saying it was “vital that the integrity of the supply chain is assured” and it was “committed to restoring consumer confidence”.

Comments(67)

Shouter says...
8:08am Wed 16 Jan 13

Makes you want to become vegetarian!

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hustler says...
8:09am Wed 16 Jan 13

Just found some of these in the back of the fridge ... aaaaaaaaand they're off !!

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Woody G Mellor says...
8:17am Wed 16 Jan 13

Traces of Zebra also found. In the bar code.

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Woody G Mellor says...
8:19am Wed 16 Jan 13

"Fancy a burger for ya tea luv?"

"Neigh lass".

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timcore says...
8:20am Wed 16 Jan 13

And why is eating horse a bad thing?

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Woody G Mellor says...
8:26am Wed 16 Jan 13

timcore wrote:
And why is eating horse a bad thing?
It isn't. It's the labelling which is really the issue.

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pedalling paul says...
8:26am Wed 16 Jan 13

If I scoff a couple, will I win the 3.15 at Thirsk.....?

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timcore says...
8:32am Wed 16 Jan 13

Woody G Mellor wrote:
timcore wrote:
And why is eating horse a bad thing?
It isn't. It's the labelling which is really the issue.
As long as there's still some beef in there, they're probably within the law. It's like crabsticks really, best not to ask too many questions.

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NoNewsIsGoodNews says...
8:33am Wed 16 Jan 13

Didn't think that I had seen many horses tethered at the side of the road recently.

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hustler says...
8:35am Wed 16 Jan 13

Low in fat ... high in Shergar !

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anistasia says...
8:36am Wed 16 Jan 13

I just eaten horse burgers now I have the trots.

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Buzz Light-year says...
8:46am Wed 16 Jan 13

My Lidl Pony?

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Theendoftheworld says...
8:52am Wed 16 Jan 13

If Princess Anne ate them would that make her a cannibal?

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Geoffers says...
9:10am Wed 16 Jan 13

What on earth was horse meat doing in DalePak?

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ReginaldBiscuit says...
9:24am Wed 16 Jan 13

Scientists identified horse meat in the burgers by analysing it's D N Neigh.

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pedalling paul says...
9:25am Wed 16 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
If I scoff a couple, will I win the 3.15 at Thirsk.....?
Come along chaps...I'm waiting to get my next riposte in..........ie
Hee haw....he haw...he always says that about me!

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anistasia says...
9:37am Wed 16 Jan 13

Tesco have Said their burgers go well with a little red rum.

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russeboy says...
10:06am Wed 16 Jan 13

Its not going to kill you, the majority of burgers sold in France are Cheval.

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YorkPatrol says...
10:10am Wed 16 Jan 13

Geoffers wrote:
What on earth was horse meat doing in DalePak?
Getting made into burgers!....dummy

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Keeet Lemon says...
10:15am Wed 16 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
If I scoff a couple, will I win the 3.15 at Thirsk.....?
You old nag! If you where a horse , you would be glue by now.

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Osbaldwick Lad says...
10:34am Wed 16 Jan 13

The BBC article which I read yesterday also stated that they were on sale in Iceland in the U.K. and Aldi and Lidl in Ireland.

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baldiebiker says...
10:43am Wed 16 Jan 13

If you eat too much it will give you a sore throat and make you a little hoarse.

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dodgydavereturns says...
10:46am Wed 16 Jan 13

I ate one last night, it gave me the trots!

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dodgydavereturns says...
10:48am Wed 16 Jan 13

I do hope the Tesco burger jokes don't go on furlong!

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retrorigg says...
11:23am Wed 16 Jan 13

my job at tesco meat counter is hard work.......i feel like im flogging a dead horse sometimes

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retrorigg says...
11:25am Wed 16 Jan 13

Is it a coincidence that 'HAMBURGERS' is an anagram of 'SHERGAR BUM' ?

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Geoffers says...
11:32am Wed 16 Jan 13

YorkPatrol wrote:
Geoffers wrote:
What on earth was horse meat doing in DalePak?
Getting made into burgers!....dummy
Idiot!

Since when was horse meat normally in burgers?

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Geoffers says...
11:37am Wed 16 Jan 13

russeboy wrote:
Its not going to kill you, the majority of burgers sold in France are Cheval.
But not sold as beef!
It's obvious that you've never been to France!

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Garrowby Turnoff says...
11:44am Wed 16 Jan 13

The burger I had was very pony and needed tomatoes horse...

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dodgydavereturns says...
11:45am Wed 16 Jan 13

Just checked the use-by-date on my Tesco burgers...

AND THEY'RE OFF!!

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dodgydavereturns says...
11:47am Wed 16 Jan 13

Breaking News:
Tesco's veggie burgers are being tested for traces of uniquorn.

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Fabius the Delayer says...
11:49am Wed 16 Jan 13

I like a joke as much as the next man
and I have eaten Horse when in France
(its a dam site cheaper than Beef)
BUT
After all the trouble with B S E, and the money we spend tracking & registering cows from birth
How did nobody notice the extra volume of meat in the system, There must have been tones of it. also where did all the Horses come from ?
This is fraud on a massive scale,
and it wasn't discovered in England
The Irish food safety authority blew the whistle ,
Just watch as nobody is prosecuted.

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Mister Matosis says...
11:55am Wed 16 Jan 13

I'm in hospital having eaten one. My condition is stable.

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Fabius the Delayer says...
12:40pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Ok this has been going on furlong enough !
and an hoof is an hoof !

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bob the builder says...
12:42pm Wed 16 Jan 13

If you are poor enough to have to eat frozen meat products and feed them to your children you don't care what meat it is as long as it's affordable. If it is humanely killed, and correctly processed what does it matter what animal it is derived from? Less waste, less imports, it's a more ecological source of food than intensively farmed beef or pork.

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York1900 says...
12:58pm Wed 16 Jan 13

How do you know what meat you are buying

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TheTruthHurts says...
12:59pm Wed 16 Jan 13

theres absolutely neigh need for there labels to be so deceptive.
'
But quite frankel i couldnt care less

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Buzz Light-year says...
1:10pm Wed 16 Jan 13

York1900 wrote:
How do you know what meat you are buying
Easy.
Go to a real butcher.
Ask them about the provenance of their meat.

Don't buy meat from supermarkets.

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YorkPatrol says...
1:35pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Geoffers wrote:
YorkPatrol wrote:
Geoffers wrote: What on earth was horse meat doing in DalePak?
Getting made into burgers!....dummy
Idiot! Since when was horse meat normally in burgers?
You asked a question, you got an answer


Horse meet has been used in bugers for donkeys years, it's just you're such a foal you did'nt notice!

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ian923 says...
2:08pm Wed 16 Jan 13

I,m so hungry I could eat a horse so off to Tesco!

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Sawday2 says...
2:34pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Fabius the Delayer wrote:
I like a joke as much as the next man
and I have eaten Horse when in France
(its a dam site cheaper than Beef)
BUT
After all the trouble with B S E, and the money we spend tracking & registering cows from birth
How did nobody notice the extra volume of meat in the system, There must have been tones of it. also where did all the Horses come from ?
This is fraud on a massive scale,
and it wasn't discovered in England
The Irish food safety authority blew the whistle ,
Just watch as nobody is prosecuted.
I think we've just found the answer to the gypsy horse problem.

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Sawday2 says...
2:34pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Sorry didn't mean to have Fabius's quote in there.

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Fabius the Delayer says...
3:10pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Sawday2 wrote:
Sorry didn't mean to have Fabius's quote in there.
Soylent Green anyone

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Pedro says...
3:27pm Wed 16 Jan 13

I am shocked they found actual meat in them.

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YorkPatrol says...
3:58pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Pedro wrote:
I am shocked they found actual meat in them.
When using horse in burgers they tend just to use the head and associated internal contents so not technically “meat”

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BKKYorkshireboy says...
4:29pm Wed 16 Jan 13

The burgers might have contained horse meat but at least the buns were thorough bread!!

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Pete the Brickie says...
4:43pm Wed 16 Jan 13



YorkPatrol says...
3:58pm Wed 16 Jan 13

When using horse in burgers they tend just to use the head and associated internal contents so not technically “meat””




Excellent, I won't have to kill a horse, the next time I want to scare someone I can leave a packet of Tesco value burgers on their pillow.

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lowbeam says...
4:44pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Why is this news? We are talking about Bedale,more than likely eat worse things than some old nags..

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YorkShrimper says...
5:30pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Some great posts on this thread, kept me entertained throughout the day. Enough horsing around, I'm trotting off home now.

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osbaldwicklane says...
6:04pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Medical professionals are suggesting that, whilst there is no health hazzard associated with eating Tesco burgers, having one before you go to bed could give you night mares!

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Coriolanus says...
6:30pm Wed 16 Jan 13

After HMV, Comet, Jessops and Blockbuster, have Dalepak now been knackered

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YorkShrimper says...
6:33pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Latest gallop poll show Yorkies have a great sense of humour.

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Theendoftheworld says...
6:42pm Wed 16 Jan 13

This could open a whole Newmarket for Tesco.

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Paul Meoff says...
8:00pm Wed 16 Jan 13

I complained to Tesco and they told me to stop nagging.

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hustler says...
8:49pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Bit short of time tonight and traffic was bad round Clifton Moor, so I thought, one thing for it. Tea in Tesco's Cafe. Great - burger and chips. "Anything on your burger ?" asked the server. Without a moments pause, I retorted "Yes, a fiver each way, please". It appears I am no longer welcome there ... ;-)

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hustler says...
8:49pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Bit short of time tonight and traffic was bad round Clifton Moor, so I thought, one thing for it. Tea in Tesco's Cafe. Great - burger and chips. "Anything on your burger ?" asked the server. Without a moments pause, I retorted "Yes, a fiver each way, please". It appears I am no longer welcome there ... ;-)

Report this post »

Paul Meoff says...
9:05pm Wed 16 Jan 13

It was funny first time

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keepitshut says...
6:42am Thu 17 Jan 13

Popped into Tescos last night, bought some Tescos meat balls...they are the dogs bo**ocks!

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Fabius the Delayer says...
7:52am Thu 17 Jan 13

New race meeting at york racecourse Planned
"The Tesco Stakes"

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Marc77 says...
10:16am Thu 17 Jan 13

Wouldn't it be more shocking if "Beef" was found in Tesco's burgers.

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E=MC^2 says...
4:55pm Thu 17 Jan 13

About 10 +yrs ago NYPD were called to a body on the free way….It turned out not to be human but a skinned orang-utan. To cut along story short they discovered a large organised criminal set up which disposed of dead zoo animals into the human food chain. The carcass had fallen off the back of a lorry enroute to the meat processing plant. Enjoy!

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PinzaC55 says...
7:03pm Thu 17 Jan 13

Seriously, when they say it is "contaminated" with horse meat what does this mean? What is the deadly poison contained in horses which makes eating their flesh so dangerous?

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expubcrawler says...
11:45pm Thu 17 Jan 13

Nearly fell off my horse laughing at these jokes. Yorkshire people have a fantastic sense of humour.

I'm going for my tea now but I'm staying away from burgers; I think I'll have Saddle of Lamb instead.

By the way this story actually aired on most of the news channels in the U.S.

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baldiebiker says...
12:25am Fri 18 Jan 13

Back around 1980 bacon that had been condemned after being flooded at the Dane Pac factory at Selby was being put into hamburgers at a factory in Manchester also at the factory was kangaroo meat which was imported for pet food, so not much has changed.
please no jokes.

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expubcrawler says...
12:54am Fri 18 Jan 13

"Back around 1980 bacon that had been condemned after being flooded at the Dane Pac factory at Selby was being put into hamburgers at a factory in Manchester also at the factory was kangaroo meat which was imported for pet food, so not much has changed.
please no jokes."

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Spoilsport!

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meme says...
1:14pm Fri 18 Jan 13

Perhaps this could be a solution to the issues of stray horses around the roads in York

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hikerman says...
11:44am Tue 22 Jan 13

I phoned Tesco and said i am a vegetarian do you do burger yes we do we have Uniquorn veggie burgers.

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